Indiana Trial Courts

The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications has filed a notice with the Indiana Supreme Court for a request of suspension
of LaPorte Superior Judge Jennifer Koethe, who was indicted Thursday for attempted obstruction of justice stemming from a
shooting incident at her home in December.

Gov. Mitch Daniels received today legislation that, if signed, would toss out merit selection and retention of St. Joseph
Superior judges and also create a new three-judge panel for the Indiana Court of Appeals.

During a visit to South Bend today, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor pushed a message that merit
selection is the best way to ensure an independent judiciary, though her words come at a time when state lawmakers are close
to scrapping that very system in the county she visited.

In the first appeal of a juvenile case under Indiana Appellate Rule 14.1, the "rocket docket," the Indiana Supreme
Court ruled the juvenile court's determination that a child shouldn't be immediately reunited with his mother until
after the school year concluded - contrary to what the Department of Child Services recommended - wasn't clearly erroneous.

The full Senate voted today in support of legislation scrapping the St. Joseph Superior judge merit-selection system for judicial
elections, and also creating a new panel for the Indiana Court of Appeals.

The full Indiana Senate will consider in the next week whether St. Joseph Superior judges should be elected or merit-selected
and retained by voters. A Senate committee wants the full legislative body to consider that issue, but with a twist: An amendment
has been attached to the controversial House Bill 1491.

The Indiana Senate Judiciary Committee will meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Room 130 at the Statehouse to discuss several
bills on first reading, including House Bill 1491, which would require nonpartisan elections of St. Joseph Superior judges.

The Indiana Supreme Court has suspended Marion Superior Judge Grant W. Hawkins from the bench for 60 days without pay,
though two justices wanted a yearlong penalty while two others wanted a month suspension.

In a historically notable vote, the Indiana House of Representatives passed a bill that would elect St. Joseph Superior judges
rather than stick with a merit-selection and retention system in place for 35 years.